Projects

Lepidoptera Project

Wanted: all records of Butterflies and Moths found in the county of Huntingdonshire.
A book is being written on about the Butterflies and Moths of Huntingdonshire, which it is planned to published in 2016.

BUTTERFLIES:
There are many gaps on the distribution maps of some of our common butterflies; species that should be recorded in all areas. I have visited most areas myself, but cannot cover every area in the county at the right time, that is, when each butterfly species is on the wing, to record them all, so I am asking for your help. I require records of every species, lists from your garden are just as important as others, so please make a list of any butterflies that visit your garden and send them to me. Also when you are out and about in Huntingdonshire and see a butterfly make a note of the species, where seen and the date. If you can give me a four figure grid reference or post code, if available, that would be appreciated, so I can make sure the record is placed in the right area. As an example sites like Brampton Wood and Monks Wood cover four recording squares (tetrads), so to plot the position of a record on a map I need the area of the wood the record was made: i.e. four figure grid reference. However don’t let this put you off sending in records because I can usually sort out where the record has been made with a little help from you.

KNOWN DISTRIBUTION OF ORANGE-TIP BUTTERFLY

The map below shows the distribution of the Orange-Tip butterfly, a very easy species to record. The red dots are the most recent records. As can be seen from the blank areas on the map there are many sites where this species has never been recorded.

KNOWN DISTRIBUTION OF HOLLY BLUE BUTTERFLY

Map showing the distribution of the Holly Blue. A species that is a regular visitor to gardens in May and August.

MOTHS:
Recording the moths is more specialised than recording the butterflies, but everyone can still help with some species. There are several species that are often found in houses, such as the Brown House-moth and White-shouldered House-moth. Most people squash them when they see them. What I am asking is that you place them in a pot and put them in your freezer for a couple of hours. This will kill them, but keep them in good condition for me to identify. You can then either photograph them and e-mail me the picture or save them and hand them to me at a later date – perhaps at a HFFS meeting. If you intend to store them to hand to me later keep them dry, so they don’t get attacked by mould and also be aware of other insects that may eat them like museum beetle larvae. I require the same details as with the butterflies, where found and the date, so they can be plotted on the maps. I also want any other records of moths you are able to identify or are willing to collect or photograph and e-mail to me for identification, that you may see in your garden or while out and about. Silver Ys are very common some years, but like some species of butterflies are not recorded from many areas.

KNOWN DISTRIBUTION OF BROWN HOUSE MOTH

The map below shows the known distribution of the Brown House-moth, a moth that most probably occurs in every house in the county. The red dots are the most recent records, so from this map you can see how under-recorded this species is.

KNOWN DISTRIBUTION OF SILVER Y

The map below shows the known distribution of the Silver Y, a very common migrant moth that is also greatly under-recorded.

Orchid Project

In about three years time the Society is planning to publish a book on the orchids of Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough. The area covered will be the same as that covered by Terry Wells in his book ‘The Flora of Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough’ (see maps below). We are therefore asking anyone with information on where orchids can be found in the survey area to contact us and let us know where they can be found. We also require any historical records you have, in diaries or field books or possibly somewhere you just remember seeing orchids in the past, in which case we will have a look to see if they still survive in that area. Ideally we would like the following information with any record: Name of species recorded and if possible a photograph, but not essential; number seen; stage (i.e. in bud, in flower etc.); site name; grid reference (six-figure if possible, but four-figure will do) or a postcode, if there is one; date of record; habitat (e.g. road verge, woodland, meadow, lawn); recorder’s name. If you do find or know of a colony, but are unable to supply the above information please get in contact with us and supply what information you can and we will investigate further. The important thing is that we get to know where orchids are growing in the survey area. We are also keen to hear of any unusual plants such as white flowered specimens which are normally another colour. Many pink orchids occasionally produce a white variety. We would also like to hear of any hybrids, so if you know of any mixed colonies it is worthwhile doing a detailed search of the flowering plants and if you find any that have unusual shaped flowers; these are also of interest.

THE FOLLOWING SPECIES OF ORCHIDS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE SURVEY AREA SINCE 2000: